Roanoke mayor apologizes for statement about Japanese American internment

Syrian refugees fled the violence in their country.

FACING blistering criticism for citing Japanese internment camps in his defense of limiting Syrian refugees, the longtime mayor of Roanoke, Va., issued an apology today (Nov. 20).

Mayor David Bowers, a Democrat who has been mayor for 16 years, said he didn't expect the international attention his comments would bring. He told the city council that "it's just not in my heart to racist or bigoted."

“I want to say today that I apologize to all those offended by my remarks,” he said. “No one else is to be blamed but me.”

His statements Wednesday requesting that local governments and agencies suspend Syrian refugee assistance in the area.

he longtime mayor of Roanoke, Va., who faced criticism this week for citing Japanese internment camps in his defense of limiting Syrian refugee assistance, apologized on Friday.

He said he did not anticipate the international attention his comments would bring.

Mayor David Bowers apologizes.

The mayor, David Bowers, a Democrat who has held the position for 16 years, said at a special meeting of the Roanoke City Council that “it’s just not in my heart to be racist or bigoted.”

“I want to say today that I apologize to all those offended by my remarks,” he said. “No one else is to be blamed but me.”

He was referring to the statement he issued Wednesday in explaining his opposition to allowed Syrian refugees entrance to the U.S.

“I’m reminded,” he wrote, “that President Franklin D. Roosevelt felt compelled to sequester Japanese foreign nationals after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and it appears that the threat of harm to America from ISIS now is just as real and serious as that from our enemies then.”

When questioned about his statement, instead of apologizing, he doubled down. By Friday, his tone had changed but not before angering Democratic Party leaders and former Japanese/American internees.

George Takei, who was one of 120,000 people of Asian descent put in internment camps in the wake of 1940s-era prejudice

pointed out that Bowers was wrong to call those interred as “foreign nationals” since two-thirds were U.S. citizens. Also, he said there was never any proven incident of espionage or sabotage from the Japanese-Americans held.

“There was no threat. We loved America. We were decent, honest, hard-working folks. Tens of thousands of lives were ruined, over nothing,” Takei wrote on his Facebook page. Takei’s personal story of the camps inspired the Broadway musical “Allegiance,” in which he also stars. He invited the mayor to attend a performance.

“I was raised in an internment camp," said Rep. Mike Honda (D, Silicon Valley), "and know firsthand how that dark moment in our nation’s history led to repercussions that have resonated over the year."

 

The young Mike Honda, center front.

"I am outraged by reports of elected officials calling for Syrian Americans to be rounded up and interned. We simply cannot let the extremist perpetrators of these hateful acts of violence drive us into such a misguided action. For it is when we allow these criminals to lead us down a dark path, away from our principles and ideals, that we as a country suffer.


“The Japanese and Japanese Americans interned after the bombing of Pearl Harbor was an outrage, as was turning away Jews at our borders who were fleeing German persecution. We cannot allow this to happen again and reverse the progress we have made in the last several decades."

Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz put out a statement saying that "his rhetoric has no place in our party." In addition, Bowers lost his position in the Hillary Clinton Virginia Leadership Council.

"I anticipated that the statement might receive some coverage in the Roanoke Valley, but I did not in any way anticipate that it would trend internationally over the Internet," said Bowers.

"It's just not in my heart to be racist or bigoted," he added.